Container, apparatus and method for making the same



May 4, 1954 w, E. HALL, JR, ETAL 2,677,489

CONTAINER/APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR MAKING THE SAME Filed Aug. 9, 1949 w/HF/ELD 5. H4 JR. 206527- E. HHlL P069657 5. PEEE/GU'V INVENTORS 1 77" 7' GENE $45 Patented May 4, 1954 UNITED STATES CONTAINER, APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR MAKING THE SAME Winfield E. Hall, Jr., San Marino, and Robert E. Hall and Forrest B. Perriguey, San Gabriel, Calif., assignors, by mesne assignments, to American Trust Company, a corporation of California, as trustee- Application August 9, 1949, Serial No. 109,394

10 Claims. 1

This invention relates to an improved container of the type in which the body of the container consists of a plurality of layers of paper, bonded together by an adhesive and to an improved method of and apparatus for constructing such a container.

Containers of the type to which this invention relates have heretofore been constructed by convolutely winding previously glued paper upon a mandrel to form the shell or body of the container, the thickness and strength of the shell being determined by the number of layers of the particular type of paper used. In order to provide a removable top for such a container, it has heretofore been the practice to construct the top portion separately. One method used has been to separately wind upon a mandrel an outer holding ring of the same diameter and thickness as the container shell, to then wind a similar inner holding ring of smaller diameter, to insert between the two holding rings the upwardly turned peripheral flange of a closing disk, and to stitch, staple or otherwise secure the two holding rings with the disk flange therebetween together. This method has several disadvantages. The separate fabrication of the container top substantially increases the number of machine hours needed to manufacture a complete container, the number of people needed in such manufacture, and consequently, the time and expense required for such manufacture. Considerable time and care must be expended to insure that the separately fabricated top will properly fit the container shell for which it is intended. Further, inasmuch as the top portion of the container is separate from the body portion of the container, difficulties are encountered in handling and shipping empty containers to insure that the tops thereof do not become separated from the rest of the container.

In accordance with this invention a method is provided for fabricating containers wherein the tops thereof are made as an integral part of the container shell. In addition the construction of such tops is, in all respects identical to the construction of the container bottoms. Furthermore, a container is provided wherein the top thereof is attached to and is a part of the body of the container until severed therefrom at the time it is desired to use the container.

An important object of this invention is to provide a method and apparatus for fabricating paper containers whereby thetops thereof are constructed as an integral part of the container body.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a method and. apparatus for fabricating paper containers whereby the container tops are constructed 'in an identical manner to the container' bottoms;

It is a further object of this invention to provide a' paper container wherein the top portion thereof is an integral part of and is connected to the body portion thereof, prior to use.

It is an additional object of this invention to provide such a container wherein the top thereof, while attached to the container body, can be quickly and easily severed therefrom when it is desired to use the container.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification:

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of the means for forming the body of the container.

Figure 2 is a front elevational View of the mandrel, shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a front elevational view of a container constructed in accordance with the invention.

Figure 4 is a horizontal section taken along line 44 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a side elevation view of a disk knife illustrating a modified form of the invention.

Referring first to Figure 4, it will be seen that the container is comprised of a cylindrical body or shell 10 which, as will hereafter be described, is formed of a plurality of convolutely wound layers of paper, each layer being bound to the next layer by glue or other suitable adhesive.

The container bottom comprises a heavy paper board closure disk I2 having about its entire periphery and at right angles to the disk an outwardly extending flange Id. The annular flange I4 is located adjacent the inner periphery of the shell I0. Adjacent the inner periphery of the flange I 4 is an annular band or holding ring 3.

Holding ring I 6 is preferably constructed of convolutely wound layers of paper. It is to be understood however that a ring formed of a single thickness of heavy fiber is satisfactory. The ring it and flange M are securely fastened to the shell In. In the container illustrated in Figure 4, this is accomplished by stitching Hi. It has been found, however, that other means, such as stapling, gluing, or the like, can be used to fasten together the holding ring Hi, the flange M of the closure disk l2 and the shell Ill. The holding ring I 6 greatly strengthens the bottom of the container. It is to be understood, however, that a container which is satisfactory for many uses can be constructed in accordance with the present invention, without a holding ring It.

The removable top of the container is in all respect identical to the container bottom hereinabove described. Thus a closure disk 20 having a peripheral flange 22 and an annular holding ring 24 are utilized, the holding ring 24 and the flange 22 being secured to the container shell In by stitching 26.

Inasmuch as the closure disk 20 and the holding ring 24 are stitched to the shell It, the container top is attached to and forms an integral rather than an entirely separate part of the complete container. This is an important feature of the invention in that during the handling and shipping of empty containers the tops thereof will not become separated from=the container bodies.

It is of course necessary that the container tops be removable. In order to so provide, that portion indicated as 23, of the shell Hi, to which flange 22 of the closure disk 23 and the holding ring 24 are stitched, is partially severed from the remainder of the shell I!) so as to set off'an annular rim 28 frangibly connected thereto. Referring to Figure 3, 32 indicates a circumferential cutthrough the shell [0 setting off, as an annular rim, the portion 28 from the remainder of the shell It. The cut 32 extends about the full circumference of the shell at the outer periphery thereof. At the inner periphery of the shell, however, the cut 32 is discontinuous, as indicated at 34 in Figure 4, so as to form a course cut scoring. The portions 2240f the inn'cr periphery of the shell H] which are not cut form a frangible connection between the shell 10 and the annular rim 23. In order to remove the top from the container the user simply pulls off the top therebytearing the uncut portions 34.

In practice it has been found that a satisfacunderstood, however, that the invention is not limited to this precise cut and that the depth of'thefull cut and the depth, length, and number of uncut segments at the inner periphery of the'shell may be varied considerably.

Referring now to Figures 1 and 2, the method of constructing the container willbe explained. In Figure 1 there is shown a strip of paper 36, a pa ir'of feed rollers 38, a glue pot 40, a gluing roller 42, a collapsible mandrel 44, and a cutting knife 45. The paper 36' consists of a sheet or a roll of the desired width. If in sheet form, it will'have been pre-cut to-the desired length. If on the other hand, it is taken directly from a large roll, a shearing knife, not shown, is provided for'cutting the paper after the desired length has been fed from the feed rollers 38 to themandrel 44. To form a container body, the mandrel 44'is driven-in the direction indicated by 'the arrow; The paper 36 passes between the rollers 38, over the gluing roller 42, which applies glue from the glue pot 4B, and around the mandrel 44. In this manner thepaper 36 is convolutely woundabout the mandrel 44 until the required thickness for the container body has been obtained. Eachlayer of paper is bonded to the next layer by the glue.

Referring now to Figure 2, the mandrel 44 is shown. The-mandrel is mounted upon an axle which is journalled ina'suitableframe. The

collapsible mandrel ispreferably constructed of aluminum, wood, plastic, or other relatively soft material although harder materials, such as steel can be used. Such a mandrel is well known to those familiar with the art and the details of itsrconstruction will not therefore be described.

stance, it has *been found that disk type blades having cutting edges about their peripheries are satisfactory. Such disks may be mounted so as to freely rotate on an axle supported by the frame, or: may be positively driven on such axle in a direction opposite to the direction of rotation of the mandrel. It is the function of knives 46 and 52. to symmetrically and squarely cut the paperfifi as it is wound about the mandrel 44, to form the container body. While a satisfactory containerbody could be fabricated without employing knives 4S and 52, it has been found that severaladvantages result from their use. The height ofthe container will be determined by the spacing between the knives 4S and 52 with the result that it is unnecessary to use apaper having a width exactly equal to the desired height of the container being fabricated. Further, it has b en found difficultto wind paper about a mandrel with sufficient uniformity that properly squared edges areobtained. Exceedingly slight variations in the width of the paper being used or in the feed tothe mandrel will' result in ragged edges which are easily frayed and which will weaken the body of the container.

By employing knives and 52-each superim-- posed layer of paper is of uniform width with the result that a'square, evenedge is obtained. In

addition, when relatively small containers are made it hasbeen found desirable to wind a number of shells simultaneously upon the same mandrel. When this is done a series of properly spaced knives are used to cut the paper so as to form the individual shells.

In verticalalignment with the knife 46. and

extended about the circumference of the mandrel.

44 is agroove 54 a similar groove 55 is vertically aligned with the knife 52. His the function of these grooves to facilitate the cutting of the paper by theknives andto more perfectly align the knives during the cutting process. Inas much as the mandrel 44 is usually made of a comparatively soft material, the knives 46 andv 52 will, of course, form these grooves during the operation of the machine. It has been found, however, that if such grooves are initially cut on the mandrel, knife wear will be reduced and a clean and uniform cut will be obtained when the mandrel is first put into operation.

Spaced inwardly of knife 46 is a third knife 50 and in vertical alignment therewith a groove 58.

It is the function of knife Efito form the frangible connection between the shell I0 and the annular rim 28, shown in Figures 3. and 4, whichis utilized to form the removable container top as f hereinabovedescribed. As above set forth this the depressions 50 is made approximately equal. to the thicknessv of one..or. two-layers-of thepaper 36. As the mandrel 44 is revolvedtheknife. 50'.

will cut the paper 35, except when the knife is opposite the depressions 60. At these places the first layers of paper will not be reached by the knife 50 because the paper will be recessed in the depressions and will not be engaged by the knife. As additional layers of paper are Wound upon the mandrel however, such layers will be engaged by knife 5f] and will be cut thereby. The number of layers of paper which will avoid the knife 50, due to the depressions Eli, will be determined by the depth of such depressions. If, for instance, it is desired to provide an integral connection between the portion 28 and the remainder of the shell 18 for only the innermost layer of paper, the depressions 60 are cut to a depth equal only to the thickness of a single layer of such paper. It is thus seen that as the mandrel 44 is revolved, the paper Ill is cut by the knives 46 and 52 to form the shell Ill. In addition the knife 59 will have completely out the outer paper layers of shell it] but will have out only portions of the inner paper layer or layers of the shell I0. The number and length of uncut portions of the inner layer or layers will be'determined by the number and length of the depressions 60 in the mandrel M.

The frangible connection between the annular rim 2% and the remaining portion of the shell l9 can be formed in a different manner wherein no depressions 5E3 are placed in the mandrel 44. Instead, a rotating disk knife of the type illustrated in Figure 5 is employed which has depressions Boa about the periphery of its cutting edge. The knife edge lying within the depressions 69a will not reach the first layer or layers of paper, but the remaining portions of the knife edge will fully out the paper. After several layers of paper have been wound upon the mandrel, the cutting edge lying within the depressed portions of the knife will reach and fully out each succeeding layer of paper. fhus, as in the method above described, the meeting peripheries of the cutting edge of the knife and the surface of the mandrel are so spaced that the innermost portion of the shell is scored by the knife and the outermost portion of the shell is fully cut. The number of layers of paper which will not be fully cut because of the depressions in the knife cutting edge will be determined by the depth of the depressions, just as in the method above described wherein the depressions are placed in the mandrel.

When the shell l8 has been completed the mandrel 5 is collapsed. and the shell Ill is removed therefrom and the tops and bottoms of the completed container are fabricated.

To form the container bottom, a closure disk l2, preferably constructed of a heavy paper board is placed in the shell iii. A preferred form of such disk is one wherein the disk is notched about its periphery to form a plurality of tabs. When the disk i2 is inserted into the shell If], the tabs bend outwardly at right angles to form an annular flange it. While this form of disk has been found preferable, other forms are satisfactory. Thus the tabs may be formed by simple slits about the disk periphery in place of the notches, and if relatively light weight paper board is used for the disks, the notches or slits may be omitted entirely, the outer portion of the disk itself forming the required flange. Also placed within the shell ill is an annular band or holding ring IS, the outer diameter of which is equal to the inner diameter of the flange i l. Holding ring I5 is preferably fabricated in the same manner as the shell til, that is, by applying glue to a strip of paper and convolutely winding such strip about a collapsible mandrel until the desired thickness is obtained. In practice, a number of such holding rings are made simultaneously by winding a relatively wide strip of paper upon a mandrel and employing a series of knives such as illustrated in Figure 2. The knives are spaced from each other a distance equal to the desired width of each holding ring. To complete the container bottom, the holding ring 16 and the annular flange M are fastened to each other and to the shell IE1. In the drawings this is shown as stitching. It has been found, however, that other means, such as stapling or gluing these elements together will produce satisfactory results.

It is an important feature of the invention that the container top is formed in exactly the same manner as that above described for the container bottom with the result that the fabrication of the container is greatly simplified, less equipmont is required, and the time and expense required for the construction of each container is appreciably reduced. 'Thus, a closure disk 28, identical in all respects to closure disk l2 and a holding ring 24, identical to holding ring iii, are employed. The annular flange of the closure disk 20 and the holding ring 24 are fastened to that portion 28 ofthe shell It set off by out 32.

Inasmuch as portion 28 is integrally connected to the remaining portion of shell it, however, this operation is identical to that performed in fabricating the container bottom. Thus the maker must simply remove the finished shell is from the mandrel and insert and fasten a closure disk and holding ring in each end of the shell to form the finished container. The user of the container removes the container top by breaking the frangible connection between the top and the remainder of the container.

It is to be understood that the form of the invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same and that various changes in the shape, size and arrangementof parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having thus described the invention, we claim:

1. The combination of a mandrel for forming a container shell of convolutely wound layers of paper and a knife for cutting the paper near one end of the shell, the said mandrel having a plurality of depressions about its circumference, the said knife failing to engage those portions of the paper which are recessed within the said depressions but cutting the remaining portions of paper so as to set off from the container shell a frangibly connected annular rim.

2. The combination of a mandrel for forming a container shell of convolutely wound layers of paper, a pair of knives aligned with circumferential grooves about the mandrel, the said pair of knives cutting the paper to form uniform edges for the container shell, a third knife located between the pair of knives and aligned with a third circumferential groove about the mandrel, the mandrel having a plurality of de pressions along the saidthird groove, the said third knife failing to engage those portions of the paperwhich recess within the said depresone end of the shell, the said knife having depressions along its periphery and scoring the innermost portion of the layers of paper and cutting the outermost portions of the layers of paper seas to set off from the container shell afrangibly connected annular rim.

4. The combination of a mandrel for forming a'container shell of convolutely wound layers of paper, a pair of knives, the said pair of knives cutting the paper to form uniform edges for the container shell, a disk knife located between the said pair of knives and having depressions along its periphery, the said disk knife scoring the innermost portion of the layers of paper and cutting the outermost portions of the layers of paper so as to set ad from the containe' shell a frangihly connected annular rim.

5. A container comprising a shell formed of a plurality of convolutely wound layers 01 paper, at-least the inner layer of said shell having circuniferentially spaced cuts arranged in a plane peripherally therearound and near one end thereof, the remaining outer layers of said shell being continuously circumferential-lily cut so that the cut such outer layers overlies the spaced cuts in the inner layer, a pair of closure disks secured to the extremities of said shell on pposite sides of said cuts, one of said disks being secured to said shell to form the container bottom and the other said closure disk being secured to the annular rim to form the container top.

6. A container comprising a shell formed of a plurality of convolutely wound layers of paper, each such layer being bonded to the next layer by an adhesive, at least the inner layer of said shell having circumferentially spaced cuts arranged in a plane peripheraly therearound and near one end thereof, the remaining' outer layers of said shell being continuously circumferentially cut so that the cut in such outer layers overlies the spaced cuts in the inner layer, the portion of said shell between said cuts and the adjacent end of the shell forming an annular rim, a pair of annular reinforcing hands, a pair of closure disks formed of paper board, each such disk having a plurality of tabs around its periphery and at right angles to the said disk, one of the said bands being secured to the tabs of one of the said closure disks and to the said shell to form the container bottom, and the other of the said bands being secured to the tabs of the other of the said closure disks and to the said annular rim to form the container top.

'7. The method of fabricating a container comprising the steps of convolutely winding an uncut paper strip about a mandrel to form a shell, intermittently cutting the paper forming at least the first layer of said shell in the direction of movement of said paper as said paper is Wound so to form coplanar segmental cuts in at least said first layer of said shell, cutting the paper forming the remaining layers or" said shell continuously in the same plane as said segmental cuts as said paper is woundto form an annular rim at one end of the shell, all said cutting being performed after said paper is on said mandrel, fastening a closure disk to said annular rim to form the container top and fastening a second closure disk to said shell to form the container bottom.

8. The method of fabricating a container comprising the steps of convolutely winding an uncut paper strip about a mandrel to form a shell, inter- 8; mittently cuttingthe paper forming at least the first layer of said shell in the direction of movement of said paper as said paper is wound so inserting-a closure disk having a peripheral flange into the said annular rim, inserting a holding ring into the said peripheral flange, fastening the holding ringto the peripheral flange and to the annular rim to form the container top, insertinga second closure disk having a peripheral flange into the container shell, inserting a second holding ring into the secondmentioned peripheral flange and fastening the said second holding ring to the second mentioned peripheral flange and to the container shell to form the container bottom.

9; The method of fabricating a container comprising the steps of convolutely winding an uncut paper strip about a mandrel to L'orm a shell, intermittently cutting the the first layer of said shell in the direction of movement of paper as said paper is wound so as to form coplanar segmental cuts in at least said first layer of said shell, cutting the paper forming the remaining layers of said shell continuously in thesanie plane said segmental cutsas said paper is wound to form an annular rim at one end of the shell, all said cutting being performed after said paper is on said mandrel, inserting a closure disk having tabs about its periphery into the said annular rim, inserting a second and identical closure disk into the said shell, inserting a holding ring into the said annular rim, inserting a second holding ring into the said shell, fastening together the annular rim, the first mentioned holding ring and the tabs of the first mentioned closure to form the con tainerv top-and fastening together the shell, the second mentioned holding ring and the tabs of the second mentioned closure disk to form the container bottom.

10. A container manufacturing apparatus comprising, a mandrel for forming a container shell of convolutely wound layers of a knife having a cutting edge mounted radially of said mandrel, said cutting edge movable into engagement with said. mandrel, said mandrel having a series of depressions arranged circumferentially therearound, said depressions being aligned with the cutting edge of knife so as to cause said knife to contact mandrel upon its rotation and to clear mandrel when said depressions are opposite said knife, and means to rotate said mandrei.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS forming at least 

